Beyond the Title: The Way "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" Deviates from the Original Writings of Lee Child
The second movie in the Jack Reacher series, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, deviated from its source material, Lee Child's book of the same name. The movie made major changes to the plot, character development, and even Reacher's identity, but it kept the main idea of Reacher being wrongfully accused and discovering a hazardous conspiracy. Many fans questioned the film's adherence to the adored Jack Reacher book series because, despite their best efforts to adapt the book to the screen, these adjustments eventually produced a picture that felt like a completely different story.
The glaring difference between Lee Child's and Tom Cruise's vision
Jack Reacher's portrayal in the movie and the novel is arguably the most noticeable change. At six feet five inches tall and 250 pounds in weight, Lee Child's Reacher is a massive man who personifies raw strength. Even though he is a gifted actor, Tom Cruise is not quite as tall as the formidable figure portrayed in the book at 5'7". Because of this disparity and Cruise's naturally elegant manner, Reacher appeared on screen more like a dapper action hero than the weathered, lonesome character that Child had envisioned.
In an attempt to address this and more accurately match the book's description, the later Reacher TV series, starring Alan Ritchson, cast a noticeably larger actor. The series, however, continued to make its own artistic license with the source material notwithstanding Ritchson's actual presence.
A Daughter's Predicament: The Modified Path of the Paternity Plotline
In addition to the obvious differences, the movie handled the paternity narrative differently than the book did. Samantha, a teenage girl, claims to be Reacher's daughter in both stories, although the movie gives this subplot a lot more importance. Samantha's assertions are a minor plot point in the book that serves as a bookend to the larger, riskier espionage plot. But because the movie weaves the two together, Samantha's parentage becomes a pivotal point that moves the story along.
This subplot also has a considerably different resolution. In the novel, Reacher merely unearths a fake birth certificate, therefore subtly rejecting Samantha's allegation. In contrast, the movie takes a more nuanced tack, showing Reacher meeting Samantha in person who sincerely thinks he might be her father. This shows a more sympathetic side of Reacher and gives the story an emotional depth not found in the book.
A Changing Dynamic: Reacher and Major Turner's Changing Relationship
Another illustration of how the movie departs from the source material is the character of Major Susan Turner, a tough and driven military police officer. Reacher and Turner's paths initially intersect in the book during the Never Go Back events, and their cooperation is only sustained for the remainder of the case. But the movie also provides a backdrop, showing that Reacher and Turner have previously collaborated on a case involving human trafficking. In contrast to their strictly professional relationship in the book, this forges a stronger, more intimate bond between the two protagonists.
Reacher's Journey: From Individualist to Collaborator
Reacher's more gregarious image in the movie contrasts with the reclusive persona in the novel. In the books, Reacher is a lone man who frequently turns down help in favor of depending only on his own power and guile. But in the movie, Reacher is seen aggressively looking for assistance and assembling a group of soldiers, including Major Turner and Captain Espin. The movie's conclusion, in which Reacher stays in touch with his newly formed family after messaging his daughter, highlights this change in attitude even more than the book's, in which he discards his phone and vanishes into the woods.
The Smuggling Conspiracy: A Complicated Network of Variations
The nature of the smuggling operation itself represents the biggest divergence from the plot. In the book, two Fort Bragg Chiefs of Staff named Crew Scully and Gabriel Montague plan to smuggle opium into the country with the help of an Afghan imam named Emal Zadran. Instead of being captured, Scully and Montague commit themselves at the book's conclusion. But the movie reduces all of the antagonists to one person: General James Harkness, who is smuggling lethal anti-tank weapons in addition to opium. In place of the book's more subdued and complex conclusion, the film's climax presents a more exciting showdown with "The Hunter," a fictional mercenary who plans Reacher's framing.
The Franchise's Unrealized Potential: The Effect of "Never Go Back"
The Jack Reacher film series ultimately failed as a result of the major alterations made in Never Go Back, even though it appeared that the adjustments were designed to make the plot more cinematic. Its departure from the character's essence and lack of book accuracy turned off a lot of fans, which hurt the movie's box office results. After Never Go Back, the film series came to an end, leaving many fans to speculate about what may have happened if Lee Child's initial vision had been adhered to.
